Method of treating shale and like material



. L B: ARI) METHOD OF FREA TI'NG SHALE AND LIKE MATERIEL.

' APPLICATION FILED ma. 3. 1921.

1,373,698. Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

UNITED STATESPATEINT OFFICE.

LIGON 3. A31), or imw YORK, N. Y.

un'rnon or 'rana'rme snnnn AND min mrnnrni To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LIooN B. Ann, a citizen of the United States, residin at New York city, in the county .of New ork, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovements in Methods of Treating Shale and like Material, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a method or process for treating shale and like material containing volatile matter to extract such volatile matter. My invention has for its object to provide a method or rocess for this purpose which will be effective to effect the heating of the shale or other material quickly to the temperature necessary to completely drive off the volatile matter and will prevent clogging of the retort with spent material, and will at the same time require for carrying it out comparatively. inexpensive apparatus and small expense for operation.

With the objects above outlined and other objects hereinafter described in view my invention consists in the method hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawing,

The figure shown is a central vertical sectional View of an apparatus adapted to carry out my invention it being understood that the drawing is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way a limitation of the invention to the use of the a paratus shown and described or to the use 0 any particular apparatus.

In the apparatus shown in the drawing 1 indicates a retort of any convenient construction here shown as comprising a cylindrical body portion flan ed at its ends, to which flanges are secure the bottom 2 and the cover 3, the cover being secured by bolts 4 or in other convenient way. At its center or other convenient place the bottom has a pin 5 on which the conveyer rotates. The cover 3 has a central opening 6 and a sleeve 7 extends upward about this opening. The inner face of the cover is adapted -'to receive, concentric with the opening 6, a sleeve 9 extending downward preferably to the bottom of the retort and having a conveyer 10,

shown as a screw conveyer, arranged therein. At its lower end-this conveyer 1s mounted to rotate on pin 5. Securedto the lower end of the conveyer is a disk 11 from which Specification of Letters Patent.

' these spaces.

is supported, by uprights 12 and 13, a sleeve 15 concentric with the sleeve 9 and conveyer 1O surrounding the sleeve 9 at a distance therefrom suificient to permit of freemovement thereon. v

On the sleeve 15 and extending outward therefrom nearly to the walls of the retort, is arranged a helical vane or helix of relatively thin metal the helices ,being spaced apart suiiiciently to ermit the melted lead or other melted or of metals with which the retort is filled, to fill The helices near the lower end of the device are preferably closer together than those near the upper end so as to,.regu-,

eated metal or combination Patented Apr. 5,1921. K Application filed February a, 1921. Serial 30,442,142.

late the upward travel of the material being,

' in the cover'provide for the discharge of the spent material and the escape of the volatile matter respectively.

The lower end of the sleeve 15 is spaced apart from the disk 11 sufiiciently to provide an opening 22 for free discharge of the material to be treated from the lower end of the conveyer.

The screw of the conveyer 10 and the helix 1'? are oppositely pitched so that when rotated together the screw conveyer will carry the material downward and the helix will carry it upward.

The sleeve 7 on the upper face of the cover has an opening in one slde at 2 4 and about this opening is secured the lower end of a chute or hopper 25 for the material to be treated. Within-the sleeve 7 is a lining or wear tube 26 having an opening 27 in line with the opening 24 in the sleeve 7. Within this lining tube 26 is arranged a rotary ducing it to relatively fine condition. The chute or hopper 25 1s preferably of such size that it will hold a sufiicient mass of the material to block the opening 24 against entrance of air. 1

I do notherein claim the apparatus herein shown and described as that forms the subject matter of a separate application for patent filed by me on February 4, 1921, Serial N 0. 442,398.

The crushing and feeding device 30 is carried by a, stub shaft 32 which extends upward through the cap 33 which is screwthreaded or otherwise secured on the upper end of the sleeve 7. On its upper end the stub shaft carries a bevel pinion 34 which.

meshes with a bevel wheel on a power shaft 36 carried in a bearing in bracket 37 secured to the sleeve 7.

The retort may be heated by any convenient-means. As here shown it is arranged in an inclosing fire box 40 provided with burners 41 and a flue 42. The retort is filled nearly, to the level of the opening 21, with molten metal, sufiicient heat being maintained to keep the metal constantly in molten condition. I The shale or other material to be treated is supplied by the chute or hopper to the crushing and feeding device by which it is fed downward to the conveyer 10. By the conveyer the material is carried downward to be discharged near the lower end of i the retort directly into the molten metal.

The finer particles of thematerial willbe at once heated to substantially thetempera:

ture of the molten metal, which, of course, may be varied somewhat, and will, thereby be caused to give up the volatile matter carried by them. Larger particles will, of course, be heated through more slowly. The helices 17 will present these larger particles from rising through the molten metal too rapidly .to permit of their being completely and uniformly heated. By reason of the material to drive off volatile matter there-* from, which consists inforcing relatively cool material immediately downward below the surface of a bath of molten metal of higher specific gravity than that of the material to be treated, discharging it in relatively cool condition intothe bath of molten metal to permit it to float upward through said molten metal, and retarding the upward movement of the material whereby all of the volatile matter is driven off during its upward movement through said molten meta A 2. The method of treating shale and like material to drive ofi' volatile matter therefrom, which consists in forcing relatively cool material immediately downward below the surface of a bath of molten metal of higher specific gravity than that of the material to be treated, discharging it in relatively cool condition into the bath of molten metal to permit it to float upward through said molten metal, and regulating the upward movement of the material by retarding the upward movement of the lighter particles and aiding the upward movement of the heavier particles whereby all of the volatile matter is driven off during the upward movement of the material through the molten metal.

' In testimony whereof I affixmy signature this 2nd day of February 1921.

LIGON B. ARI). 

